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Devils’ Point Streak Ends with Loss to Bruins, 5-2

The Devils’ point streak ended at four games and their winning streak was halted at three games as the Boston Bruins came into Prudential Center for a 1 PM matinee and defeated New Jersey, 5-2.

I was at the game, celebrating my birthday a week early – I finish orbiting the sun for another year on the 20th while Devils are in Tampa. It was my nephews’ first live hockey game as the attended with their parents and they loved it. My older nephew was intently watching everything and was especially into the Zambonis during the intermissions (he loves things like firetrucks, so that was a natural for him). Hopefully, two new Devils fans were minted today.

But what they ultimately witnessed was a loss, unfortunately.

In the Devils’ lineup, Yegor Sharangovich was back in, slotting in up front. Defenseman Colton White and forwards Tyce Thompson and Mason Geertsen were the Devils’ scratches.

In net, Mackenzie Blackwood had been playing well – defeating the Florida Panthers and New York Islanders (who he shutout, in fact) in his two consecutive starts this week. The Devils, however, elected to give him the game off and went back to Jonathan Bernier, who last played a week ago, last Saturday in the shootout win at San Jose.

Bernier made 31 saves on 35 shots against for an .886 save percentage. He stopped both Boston shorthanded shots against and three of their four power play shots. The Bruins were 1-for-2 on the power play for the afternoon. Bernier stopped 26 of 28 shots at even strength. Boston finished with 36 total shots with an empty net goal late in the game.

The Bruins countered with Jeremy Swayman who made 27 saves on 29 Devils total for a .931 save percentage. He was equal to the Devils’ lone power play shot (New Jersey ended up 0-for-3 on the power play advantage). At even strength, Swayman stopped 26 of the Devils’ 28 shots.

Erik Haula got the Bruins on the board at the 17:37 mark of the first period when Karson Kulhman gained the Devils zone and dropped to Anton Blidh. Blidh took a shot on Bernier and Haula, going towards the net, put the rebound in to give the B’s the 1-0 lead.

It remained that way until the early part of the second period when Boston doubled up their lead.

At the 4:10 mark, Brad Marchand scored his first of two goals on the afternoon with this one coming on the power play.

Dawson Mercer was called for tripping New Jersey-native Connor Clifton at 2:58 of the second period. With the extra man, Patrice Bergeron curled around at the half wall and passed to Charlie McAvoy at the point. McAvoy bobbled the puck but was able to go across to Marchand at the other point. Marchand was able to skate towards the middle of the ice and shoot, beating Bernier cleanly to make it 2-0 Boston.

The Bruins were up by two, but the Devils would cut that lead in half just 28 seconds after Marchand’s goal.

At the 4:10 mark, Jesper Bratt intercepted a pass from Curtis Lazar in the neutral zone. Bratt broke into the Boston zone with Andreas Johnsson on a partial 2-on-1 with Mercer trailing with a Bruins defender. Bratt passed across to Johnsson at the circles and Johnsson found Mercer behind with a one-touch pass. Mercer ripped a shot, beating Swayman to get the Devils on the board and make it 2-1.

The Bruins would get that one back, though when, at the 6:52 mark of the second, Marchand struck again to make it 3-1 Boston.

McAvoy passed to David Pastrnak cross-ice when the two crossed into the Devils’ zone on the rush. Pastrnak shot with Marchand crashing the net. The puck dribbled out to Marchand in front after Bernier stopped Pastrnak’s shot. With Marchand there, he put it the rebound in to put Boston back up by two goals. It was Marchand’s second of the afternoon and McAvoy’s second assist as well.

The Devils would continue to play catch up and got back within one before the end of the second period.

With 36 seconds to go in that frame, the Devils applied pressure in the Boston zone. Defensemen PK Subban and Jonas Siegenthaler did a great job of holding the blue line multiple times, keeping eth puck in alive in the offensive zone.

Finally, off of a board battle in the corner, a loose puck came right to Bratt. Bratt guided the puck to Mercer in the slot. Mercer grabbed the puck, spun around and passed to Bratt, who had positioned himself at the bottom of the far faceoff circle. Bratt swept a one-timer into the empty far side of the net. This was both Bratt and Mercer’s second points of the night.

That made it 3-2 and the Devils seemed poised for a comeback in the third period.

However, Boston would end up putting things away in third for good.

It began at the 10:49 mark of the third when Pastrnak drove towards the Devils net, making a power move. Bernier stopped him and Bergeron crashed in, putting the rebound in from in front. That made it 4-2 Boston – the game-winner for them. McAvoy notched the secondary assist, his third point (all assists) on the afternoon.

The Bruins would add an empty net goal by Jake DeBrusk after the Devils had pulled Bernier with about a minute and a half left in regulation. The goal came unassisted at the 19:06 mark of the third and gave us our final of 5-2.

The Bruins outshot the Devils 36 to 29. The Devils won 46-percent of the game’s faceoffs. Jesper Boqvist led the Devils centers with a 50-percent personal wining percentage. Boston ended up with eight team penalty minutes while the Devils had six. The Devils were outhit 16 to 11 and had only eight blocked shots to the Bruins’ 25. The Devils doubled up on giveaways at eight to Boston’s four.

Damon Severson led all Devils skaters with 23:43 of total ice time logged (including 2:38 on the power play and 1:36 on the penalty kill). Nico Hischier led the Devils forwards with 21:54 time on ice (including 3:07 on the PP and 1:21 shorthanded).

Mercer and Bratt, as mentioned, each had two points – both with a goal and an assist – to lead the Devils in scoring. Pavel Zacha led in shots on goal for the Devils with six, just edging out Bratt who had five. Severson and Subban both had two blocks to lead in that category. Bratt had a strong game but did lead the Devils in turnovers with three while Tomas Tatar had four takeaways to lead there.

Next up, a real quick turnaround as the Devils will travel to Manhattan tomorrow for a duel with the archrival Rangers. Puck drop for that game is 7 PM on MSG+ and we will have a recap for you at a much more reasonable time after the game.

Until then, enjoy the rest of your Saturday, everyone!

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Zacha Wins it in OT for Devils

Life and hockey came full circle as the Devils faced the Boston Bruins in their final home game of the 2020-21 season just as they faced them in the first game of the 2020-21 season.

The paths may have diverged since that game in January, the Bruins are going to the playoffs, the Devils not. But the Devils gave their fans something to remember as they finished the home schedule on top, winning 4-3 in overtime.

First, some contract info to get to as today (May 5) the Devils singed goaltender Nico Daws to an Entry Level Contract. The 84th overall pick (third-round) in 2020 will see his three-year contract kick in in 2021-22 as he just finished up his season in the DEL in Germany.

He had a 4-6-0 record over ten games with one shutout and a 2.90 goals against average for ERC Ingolstadt this season. Before playing in the German league, he went 23-8-3-3  with a 2.48 GAA and a .924 save percentage, according to the Devils’ press release on him, for the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.

He was third in save percentage last year in the OHL and was an OHL First Team All-Star and the OHL Goaltender of the Year last year as well.

Internationally, he represented Canada (he has dual German/Canadian citizenship – as he was born in Munich) in the 2021 World Junior Championship where he won gold.

And now to yesterday’s game. Andreas Johnsson and Mikhail Maltsev remain out, as do PK Subban (who is working out, but has not skated yet) and Jonas Siegenthaler.

Ty Smith reaggravated an injury in Monday’s game against Boston and so Matt Tennyson slotted in for him. Marian Studenic drew in for AJ Greer as well.

Boston sat a few players in preparation for the playoffs, including goalie Tuukka Rask. In his place started Jaroslav Halak, who made 17 saves on 21 Devils shots for an .810 save percentage. He got three of the Devils’ four power play shots (New Jersey was 1-for-4 on the power play) and was 14-of-17 at even strength.

Starting for the Devils was Mackenzie Blackwood, who stopped 33-of-36 Bruins shots for a .917 save percentage. He stopped the Bruins’ lone shorthanded shot and got two of their three power play shots (Boston was 1-for-3 with the man advantage). He stopped 30 of the Bruins’ 32 shots at even strength.

The game began with Miles Wood hitting the post for the Devils on a power play. A power play would play a part in the first goal of the game, but not that one.

Pavel Zacha scored at 8:45 into the game while the Devils were on a 5-on-3. Nico Hischier won a faceoff in the Bruins’ zone and Jack Hughes got it to Zacha in the slot. He knuckle pucked it by Halak on a shot he did not get all of and scored to make it 1-0 Devils.

Following that was a lengthy review, but not to see if the goal counted. It was to review time. The replay showed that the first power play had expired during while the goal was scored. This meant that Charlie McAvoy, the second offender, was released from the penalty box, as his was the power play that the goal was actually scored on.

After all of that, we were back to play. Blackwood went down with an apparent injury with 7:41 left in the first. He was checked out by the trainer and continued on. It would not be the first scare the Devils would have on the night.

In the second, the Bruins came on as the team you knew that they are.

It began at 4:36 in when Patrice Bergeron scored on the power play to tie. The Bruins won a faceoff in the Devils’ zone. The puck was won back to Matt Grzelcyk who went across the point to David Pastrnak. Pastrnak took a shot and his stick broke. Luckily for Boston, the puck went right to Bergeron in front. He spun around and fired the puck by Blackwood to make it 1-1.

The Bruins took the lead at 14:02 when Taylor Hall scored his first against the Devils since leaving the team for Arizona last December.

David Krejci poked the puck loose from a Devils’ stick in the Devils zone and Grzelcyk grabbed it. He threw it on net and Hall, who was in front as a screen had the puck ricochet in off of him. The Devils used their coach’s challenge alleging goalie interference. But after review, the call on the ice (goal) stood and the Devils took a delay of game penalty. They would kill that off, but Boston took the lead into the second intermission.

Another scary moment for the Devils to end the second when Jack Hughes went crashing head-first into the end boards with 1:45 left in the frame. He got up on his own power and left for the locker room, but would return for the third.

And the Devils would fight back in the third. It began at 9:10 when Damon Severson threw the puck at the Bruins’ net from the point. It went through a maze of skates and finally hit McAvoy’s before landing on Jesper Boqvist’s stick. He was camped out in front and shoveled it in to tie the game at two. Studenic had the secondary assist.

But a little more than a minute later, saw the Bruins retake the lead. It came at 10:42 when Pastrnak, racing up the right wing, threw the puck to Sean Kuraly who was crashing the left side of the net. The puck went in off of his skate and made it 3-2 Bruins. Mike Reilly had the secondary assist.

But in another flash of lightning, the Devils would tie it again. At 12:41, Severson got the puck up to Yegor Sharangovich, who snuck in behind the Bruins’ defense and was all alone with Halak. He wristed a shot through Halak’s right arm that squeezed in to tie it at three apiece. Kevin Bahl had the secondary assist.

This was moments after a Zacha shot dribbled behind Halak but sat on the goal line without the Devils being able to sweep it over.

And when time ran out on regulation, it was off to OT.

The Devils would waste no time and got a little bit of luck to boot.

On a delayed penalty call, Will Butcher went to Hughes, who found Zacha down by the top of the far faceoff circle. He cut in on Halak and scored on his backhand to give the Devils the OT win just 2:42 into the extra session.

Team-wise, the Devils were outshot by Boston 36 to 21. They won just 36-percent of the game’s faceoffs – with Hischier winning 50-percent of his to lead all Devils’ centers.

The Bruins led in hits with 26 to the Devils’ 18. The Devils edged Boston in blocks with 11 to the B’s 10. The Devils had ten turnovers to Boston’s seven.

Individually, shots were led by Zacha and Jesper Bratt with three each. Hits were led by Nate Bastian’s five. Blocked shots by Tennyson’s two and takeaways by Wood’s two.

Next up, the Devils begin two with the Islanders tomorrow. Puck drop is 7 PM and this game and Saturday’s game at Nassau Coliseum may, or may not, be the Devils latest final games at that old barn. This all depends on construction schedules and whether or not the UBS Arena opens on time or not, of course.

We will see you then. Stay safe everyone!